Pennisetum 'Rubrum' Fountain Grass

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

Pennisetum 'Rubrum' (red or purple fountain grass) is a deciduous ornamental grass offering summer through fall interest. 'Rubrum' is an extremely popular landscape plant for its burgundy red foliage and showy flowers. The rounded mound of narrow, linear blades is blanketed with long, gracefully arching burgundy-purple or copper-colored plumes. Borne atop hollow, 3-foot-long, nodding flower stalks, the feathery, bottle brush-like inflorescences are 10 to 12 inches long and make nice additions to cut flower arrangements. End-of-season seed heads follow the flower spikes, providing a welcome late-season food source for birds.

A highly versatile herbaceous perennial plant, typically grown as an annual in cooler climates (north of Zone 9), Pennisetum 'Rubrum' has an upright, multi-trunked, clumping habit and a fast growth rate. Unlike the species, it does not set seed and is not invasive under any circumstances. This fountain grass is considered a valuable accent or specimen plant for garden or container, but it is shown to best effect massed or grouped.

Pennisetum 'Rubrum' fountain grass is easy to grow and low maintenance. It prefers full sun and acidic to slightly alkaline well-drained soil but tolerates a wide range of soils, including sand, loam, and clay. The plant is deer and black walnut resistant, relatively pest and disease free, and moderately drought tolerant.